1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a data acquisition device and, more particularly, to a miniature non-volatile data acquisition module to be mounted in an inconspicuous location on a vehicle to acquire event and duration data from an electrical vehicle component for an extended period of time.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Many vehicle components and devices are tested to insure that they operate according to predetermined specifications. It may be desirable in certain cases to monitor the operation of the vehicle component over an extended period of time, for example up to three years, to determine the number of times the device is activated and the length of each operation, to monitor device longevity and reliability. For example, it may be desirable to monitor the operation of a vehicle starter over an extended period of time to determine the number of times the vehicle starter is activated, and the duration of each start, so that the starter can be reliable for the life of the vehicle.
In order to monitor a vehicle component for an extended period of time, it would be desirable to have the monitoring device mounted at an inconspicuous location on the vehicle so that it does not interfere with the everyday operation of the vehicle. In order to allow the monitoring device to be inconspicuously mounted to the vehicle during normal vehicle operation, it is necessary that the device be small in size. Also, it would be desirable if the monitoring device would only draw a small amount of current during operation. Further, because of the length of the testing period, it is necessary that the monitoring device retain its data even if the vehicle battery is drained or removed.
Known data acquisition devices for monitoring and testing vehicle components typically are large devices that cannot be inconspicuously located in the vehicle, do not retain data if the vehicle battery is removed, are expensive, and have mechanical parts. These known data acquisition devices are thus not suitable for long term data acquisition of the type described above.
What is needed is a small, cost effective data acquisition device that is readily mounted to a vehicle in an inconspicuous location, and is capable of monitoring electrical events and their duration for a long period of time without losing data from loss of vehicle power. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a data acquisition module.